West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-10-06

o.
poses 10 rectify all wrongs by enactment OF
better laws, and there Is an aesthetic rel gion
that by rules OF exquisite taste would lift the
heart out OF its deformities and religions Of
AL sorts, religions by the peck, religions
by the square foot, and religions by
the ton-all OF them devices Of the devil that
would take the heart away from the only re-
hgion that will ever effect ANYTHING for the
human race, and that is the straight up and
down religion written in the book, which be-
gins with Genesis and ends with Revelation,
the religion OF the skies, the old religion, the
God-Rlven religion, the everlasting religion
which says: love God above all and your
neighbor as yourself" All religions but this
one begin at the wrong end and in the wrong
place. The Bible religion demands that
we hrst get right with God It be-
gins at the top and measures down, while
the other religions begin at the bottom and
Wy 10 measure up They stand at the foot
OF the wall up to their knees i'm the mud OF
human theory and speculation, and have a
plummet aud a string tied fast TO It. And
they throw the plummet this way and break
mead there, and they throw plummet an
other way and break a head there, and
then they throw II up, and IL comes down
upon their own pate Foolsl Why will
you stand at the foot OF the wall melsur-
ing up when you ougu5 IN stand at
the top measuring down. A rev. says ago
i was in the country, thirsty after a
long walk. And / came i'm, and INV
child was blowing soap bubbles and
they rolled out OF the cup, blue, and gold.
and green, and sparkling and beautiful and
orbicular, and I'm so small a space never saw
more splendor concentrated. But she blew
once too often and all the glory vanished into
suds. Then turned and took a glass OF
plain water and was refreshed And 40 far
as soul thirst is concerned, put against ali
the glowing, glittering soap bubbles of
worldly reform and human speculation one
draught from the fountain from under the
throne OF God, clear as crystal Glory to
haf ~.
not coming up from beneathl "And the Lord
said unto me, Amos, what seest thoul and
said, plumb-line.n
want you TO notice this fact, that when a
man gives up the straight up and down re-
ligion in the Bible for any new tangled reilly
Ion, 1t is generally to suit his sins. You first
hear OF his change of religion, and then you
near OF some swlndle he has practiced in Col
orado mining stock, telling some one If he will
put in 10000 he can take out 800, 900, or ne
has sacrificed his chastity, or plunged into ir-
remediabe worldliness. His sins are so broad
he has TO broaden his religion, and he becomes
as broad as temptation, as broad as the
souFs darkness, as broad as hell They
want religion that will allow them 10 keep
their sins, and then at death say to them:
Wei done, good and faithful servant" and
telis them; "All Is well, for there is no HE'LL
What glorious heaven they hold before usl
Come, let us go i'm and SEQ It, There is Herod
and all the babes he massacred. There Is
Charles Gufteau, and Jim Fisk and Robes
Iuo lFleuu OF the french RulllOtfne
and all the liars, thieves, house burners. gar
rioters. pickpockets and libertines of ali the
centuries. They have all got crowns AMI
thrones, and harps, and scepters, and when
tthey chant they sing: Thanksgiving, and
honor, and glory, and power to the broad re-
hgion that let us all into heaven without re-
pentance and faith in those disgraceful dog
mas OF ecclesiastical old fogyism"
My text gives me grand opportunity of
saying useful word to all young men who
are now forming habits for lifetime OF
what use TO stonemason or a bricllayer is n
plumb linei Why not build the wall by the
unaided eye and handl Because they are in
sufficient, because if there be detection in
the wall it cannot further on be corrected
Because by the law OF gravitaton' a wall
must be straight in order TO be symmetrical
ana safe. A young man is in danger of
getting defect in his wall of Character. that
may never be corrected. One of the best
friends ever had died OF delirium tremens
at % years OF age though he had not since
II years or age-before which he had been
dlssipated-touchedi intoxicating LIQUOR until
that particular carousal that took him Off
Not feeling well in street on a hot summer
day he stepped into drug store lust as Won
and would have done, and asked for a dose
OF something TO make him feel better And
there was alcohol in the dose, and
that one drop aroused the old appe-
lite, and he entered the first LIQUOR store and
stayed there until thoroughly under the
power of rum. He entered his home a ravinp
maniac, his wife and daughters fleeing from
his presence until he was taken to the CITY
hospital to die. The combustible material OF
early habit had lain quiet nearly forty years
and that one spark ignited the connagation
Remember that the wall may be one hundred
feet high, and yet q DETECTION one foot
from the foundation affects the entire struct-
ure. And II you live 100 years, and do right
the last eighty years, you may, nevertheless
do something at twenty years of age that will
damage all your earthly existence All Won
who have built houses for yourselves or for
others, am not right in saying TO these
young men, you cannot build a wall so hioh
as TO be- INDEPENDENT of the character
OF its foundationsi A man before thirty years
OF age may commit enough sin TO last him n
lifetime. A cat that has killed one pigeon
cannot be cured Keep it from killing tho
first pigeon. Now. John, or George, or
Charles, or William. or Alexander, or An
drew or Henry, or whatever be your Chris
tan name OF surname, say here and now:
mo Wild oats for me, no cigars or cigarettes
FOR me. no wine or beer for me- no nasty
stories for me, no Sunday sprees for me. /
am gong TO start right and keep on right.
God help me, for am very weak. From the
throne OF eternal Righteousness let down to
me the principles 10y which can he guided
in building everything from foundation to
capstone. Lord God, by the wounded hand
OF Christ, htOw me plumb Incl
Lord Nelson's general direction when going
into naval battle was, no man can do wrong
that places his ship close alongside that of the
II you VIII keep your life close alongside Che
Ten Commandments. DO right, and YOU can
be as brave as Maria Theresa who rode up
the Till Defiance, and shook her sword at the
four corners Of the earth
But you say, you shut as young folks
out FROM all fun" Oh, mol like fnn. b,-
lieve in fun. I have had lots OF IL IN nv
time But have not had 20 20 into paths IL
sin 20 find IL. No credit TO me, but because
or an extraordinary parental example
and influence ] was kept from outward
trangressiOns, though my heart was bad
enough and desperately wicked ] have had
fun illimi'sble, though ] never swore one
OATH and never gambled for so much as the
value OF a pin. and never saw the inside OF a
haunt OF sin save as when, ten years ago
with commissioned OF police and n detective
and two elders 81 my church, explored these
cities BY midnight, not out OF curiosity. hut
that / might In pulpit scourss set before
Jue people the poverty and the horrors OF un-
foreground city life Yet though I never wng
intoxicated for an instant. and nevar com
United one act Of disqoluteuess, restrained
only by the grace Of God. witt ont which r.
sJialnJ would have gouc headiong 20 tho
bottom Of 600 amy, / have bad 50 much fun
that j don't believe there is an
on tho planet in the present. time
who has had moro Hear g. men md
boys women and g.rls ail tho fun l. on tue
side 81 right. Sin may seem attractive. but